News that 55-year-old R&B singer Johnny Kemp has died, as reported by The Root , has come with controversy surrounding the cause of his early death. Famous for his “Just Got Paid” song that became more of an anthem to celebrating the good feelings that come with having a pocket full of money on a Friday night, Kemp was set to perform his song for the Tom Joyner Foundation, during a popular cruise. However, the Root notes that initial news about Johnny reportedly dying after falling and hitting his head on the Tom Joyner cruise — as had initially appeared in a Bahamas Weekly article — wasn’t confirmed and has been removed from the highly-cited article.
The Bahamas Weekly piece now reports that the details surrounding Kemp’s death have yet to be confirmed, however, it goes on to praise the Bahamian legend for his musical talents, and send condolences to his wife, Deidre Kemp — and their two sons.
Johnny Kemp Dies at 55 – Details behind “Just Got Paid” singer’s death are unknown. http://t.co/7HkJotqnEh
— BET News (@BETNews) April 17, 2015
When reports about Johnny’s death being attributed to a fall on the cruise surfaced, Reach Media issued the following statement about the controversy, since they are the firm liable for the Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage, one that confirmed Kemp wasn’t even on the ship.
“We have received confirmation that Johnny Kemp has passed away. We do not have any other details. We can confirm he was not on the ship for the Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage Cruise.”
So sad! RT Just Got Paid singer #JohnnyKemp dead at 55 http://t.co/P4YNNeJYM5 pic.twitter.com/yMSdWcOsbP
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) April 17, 2015
Johnny died on Thursday, April 16, and the “ Just Got Paid ” singer was scheduled to sing with Teddy Riley on the cruise during this week, reports the Chicago Defender — but he wasn’t onboard the ship to perform. For the popular singer that began his successful career as a young man in the Bahamas, Kemp is being remembered on Friday for his “Just Got Paid” anthem by folks on Twitter who are tweeting about their fondness for the song.
Along with “Just Got Paid,” Kemp also sang hits like “Just Another Lover,” and “Dancin’ with Myself,” but his most popular anthem is what is getting the most attention on social media, so much so that “Just Got Paid” is currently a trending topic on Twitter.
Damn! I still bang Just Got Paid every pay day. Dude is immortal because of that song. R. I. P. #JohnnyKemp https://t.co/zgC6p1RlCo
— sam (@Valagas) April 17, 2015
[Image via Bahamas Weekly]
